


Troubled Mind- Larry + Ziam AU-

by HazzasPrettyLittleLiar



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Dark, M/M, Mental Breakdown, Mental Institutions, Multi, One True Pairing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-01
Updated: 2015-02-01
Packaged: 2017-12-22 03:27:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/908359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HazzasPrettyLittleLiar/pseuds/HazzasPrettyLittleLiar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry isn't anything like them. He isn't crazy. This all had to be a joke. He's perfectly normal; they're not. So why was he put with them? The kids with the troubled minds?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> WARNINGS: Self-harm, mental breakdowns, talk of suicide, depression, pyromaniacs, teens with love of/obession with sharp and harmful objects.
> 
> This work is simply fiction. Any relation to places/people/events are simply coincidences. Xx.

Characters:

Level 1:

Harry Styles-patient  
Rosie Black-patient  
Harley Davis-patient  
Niall Horan-patient  
Marina Diamandis-patient  
Jenna Lewis-nurse *There are other nurses for the other two levels, but Jenna is a reoccurring character*

 

Level 2:

Liam Payne-patient  
Ed Sheeran-patient  
Jesy Nelson-patient  
Jade Thirwall-patient  
Perrie Edwards-patient  
Leigh-Anne Pinnock-patient

 

Level 3:

Louis Tomlinson-patient  
Zayn Malik-patient  
Carly Davis-patient  
Taylor Swift-patient

 

*The higher the level, the crazier the patient.*


	2. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: Self-harm, mental breakdowns, talk of suicide, depression, pyromaniacs, teens with love of/obession with sharp and harmful objects.
> 
> This work is simply fiction. Any relation to places/people/events are simply coincidences. Xx.

Insane.

Freak.

Crazy.

Weird.

Satanic.

Creepy.

These were all things they were, and all the things Harry was not. The dusty in front of him read _Granger Correction Center_.

_'hmph, why sugar coat it? Just say it. It's a mental_   _hospital,'_ Harry thought, glaring at the sign. Harry didn't belong here; he wasn't crazy. No matter what they said. So why was he here? He was being punk'd, wasn't he?

"O-Okay. You can all come out now. I know I'm being punk'd," Harry said, the words coming out less confident than he wanted. But there was no sign of anyone, let alone a camera crew. He kicked a rock in aggravation. He heard a hawk screeching in the distance, at least he _hoped_ it was in the distance. This place was creeping him out, and he did not like it one bit. He made a mental note to never talk to his mum or Gemma ever again, ignoring the gut wrenching thought that he might not ever get out of this place. He swallowed harshly, his grip on his bags tightening and making his knuckles turn white. He carefully made his way up the gravel pathway leading to Granger, his heart pounding faster with each step.

"Welcome!" A girl said when he stepped in. "Are you a new patient or staff memember?" She walked over to him, smiling wide with a clipboard in her hands. Her chestnut brown hair was put up in a bun, and she wore a tiny white hat on her head. She was sporting a typical candy striper outfit; clad in a red and white striped dress.

"Um yes, I'm Harry Styles," He cleared his throat before continuing. "New patient."

The girl smiled wide again. What the hell is she so happy about? "Welcome, Harry! We've been expecting you." Her reply sent chills up his spine. He had no idea what any of these people were capable of and the thought made him cringe. "I'm nurse Jenna. Call me nurse Jenna. Let me just sign you in real quick and you'll be an official Granger member," She continued, going back behind what Harry assumed was her desk, and shuffled through a bunch of papers.

"Great," Harry deadpanned.

~~Jenna~~ _Nurse_ Jenna gestured to a chair behind Harry. "Have a seat-"

"Oh really? Don't you need to put me in a straight jacket first, so I don't hurt myself? Or is that not needed? Because the people sitting in straight jackets made me think otherwise," Harry interrupted.

Nurse Jenna looked taken aback, shooting him a glare. "-I'll probably be a few minutes," she continued, ignoring his snarky remark. Harry sat down with a huff and began playing with a loose thread on his shirt. He didn't know anything about being in a mental institution. Was he allowed to wear his clothes? He looked around at the other patients- even thinking about himself being one of them made his blood boil- who were in all white, some sporting straight jackets as he had rudely pointed out earlier. He sat there for a minute longer before nurse Jenna gestured for him to follow he. She dropped a key in his hands. The kind you get when you stay in a hotel. "This is your room key. But don't get any ideas. You're only allowed out during certain hours. If you fail to follow these instructions, there are guards posted at every corner. There will be unavoidable punishments, understand?"

Harry scoffed. "This is prison. I may as well be in jail."

Nurse Jenna ignored his attitude. "Your room is right down the hall. Last room on the left. Number 123. Enjoy your stay, Harry. Even though, judging by your attitude, you won't. It's not that bad, really. You'll see." And with that, she left. He walked at a brisk pace to his room; it was the time when the patients could roam the hallways. He opened the door to his new room and set his stuff down, flopping down on the bed.  He just arrived and already wanted to leave. He didn't think he could handle spending even another minute in this hell-hole. He fell asleep shortly, only to be woken up to someone opening the door.

The person cleared their throat awkwardly. Harry sat up. "I forgot I was getting a new roomate. I'm Niall."

Harry glanced over. He hadn't noticed the other bed-ha! it'd be more comfortable to sleep on the floor!-until Neil?  Niall? said something about it. "I'm Harry. Will you be completely honest with me?"

Niall raised a brow, but nodded anyway. "Uh sure. What's up?"

Harry sat up all the way now, facing Niall who had taken a seat on the edge of his own bed. "How bad is it? You know, being here."

Niall let out a soft laugh and licked his lips before answering. He leaned in and whispered, "Not as bad as you think...Worse."

Harry's eyes widened, but returned to normal size when Niall laughed a loud, booming laugh.

"I'm just pulling your leg, mate. It ain't that terrible. Tell you what. I'll take you to meet a few of my mates. So you won't be lonely while you're here. And don't worry, they're not that bad around newbies."

Harry felt partially insulted to be called a newbie, even though he was. It just made him sound kind of...childish. "When's the next time we can leave the room?"

Niall sucked air in his cheeks and blew it out. "Hold on. You'd think I'd have this memorized, counting down the seconds until freedom. But I honestly don't give a shit. It's hardly freedom anyway." He went in the tiny bathroom, grabbing a laminated piece of manilla paper and handing it to Harry. Harry glanced at it. 9:30 tomorrow morning. He looked at his phone. It was 9:30 pm now. Niall took the phone from him with wide eyes. "They let you keep yours? Probably only for the night. To say your goodbyes."

"Jesus Christ, you make it sound like I'm dying."

Niall shrugged. "Dying, being put in a mental hospital- excuse me, _correction center_ \- same difference."

Harry breathed out a small laugh at Niall's joke. "I thought you said it wasn't bad here."

"It's not. Compared to others. But it's still a mental hospital."

"Compared to others? Have you been in others?"

"A few."

Harry frowned. "Why did you leave?"

Niall smirked. "I was thrown out."

Harry's eyes widened again. "T-thrown out?!"

"Yeah. Couldn't handle me, I guess."

Harry swallowed. Hard.

"I-If you don't mind me asking, how did you get put into em in the first place?"

"Lit my sister on fire." Harry suddenly felt very scared, and he hardly ever got scared.

Niall got up and stripped into boxers; Harry doing the same. Niall walked over and shut off the light. "You've been quiet ever since I told you about my sister. You afraid of me now?"

Harry nodded furiously, until he realized Niall couldn't see him. He gulped loudly, loud enough that Niall could hear him.

Niall laughed. "Good. You should be. Good night Harry. _Sleep tight,_ " He hissed. Needless to say, Harry didn't get a lot of sleep his first night as an offical member of the Granger Correction Center.


	3. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: Self-harm, mental breakdowns, talk of suicide, depression, pyromaniacs, teens with love of/obession with sharp and harmful objects.
> 
> This work is simply fiction. Any relation to places/people/events are simply coincidences. Xx.

 

"Rise and shine, cupcake."

Harry groaned as his sheets were thrown onto the ground, making him shiver. "Never call me that, Niall. And why did you wake me up?"

Niall put his shoes on and fixed up his hair a bit. "Breakfast time. 9:30. And-" He grabbed Harry's arms, forcing him up. "-It's time for you to make some new friends. But uh, first, do something about that hair. Wanna make a good impression, eh?"

Harry frowned, looking at his mess of curls. "Okay. Just give me a few minutes."

"I'll meet you out there. I'm starving."

Harry lazily shuffled into the bathroom for a quick shower. When he finished, he wrapped a towel around his waist and went to get dressed. The door opened and in walked Niall, mouth gaped open.

"Woah-er nurse Jenna wanted me to give you these." He handed Harry a set of white clothes- figures- and a pair of white sneakers on top. "By the way, I like your tattoos." Harry found himself blushing as soon as Niall left. By the time he got dressed in the horrid clothes, and fixed his hair, his stomach was growling massively. He walked outside, after grabbing his room key and heading off down the hallway. He spotted Niall right away sitting with a group consisting of 3 girls, and two boys, including Niall.  He waved him over and began introductions.

"Harry, this is Rosie, Harley, Marina, and Liam." He recieved a chorus of hello's in response.

"Niall told me you're scared of him. But he's just a big ball of fluff once you get to know him," A girl said. Rosie maybe?

 _'Yeah a big ball of fluff that lit his sister on fire,'_ Harry thought.

"Oi!" Niall scolded, smacking her shoulder. "I take offense to that. I'm quite macho."

Everyone snickered, causing Niall to mumble some choice words to himself as he slumped back in his seat. "What did you do?" Harley asked, looking at Harry.

"Um. I didn't do anything. I don't belong here."

Marina glared at him disapprovingly, her eyes in slits. "You belong in here just as much as any of us. Now stop playing games. What did you really do?"

Harry swallowed.

"Kid won't talk. Don't blame 'im. I was shy my first day, too. Kept telling myself I didn't belong. Until one day, SNAP! Went crazy and realized I really do. You'll understand one day, kid," Harley said with a smirk. Harry got irritated. Why was she talking to him like he was a child? He looked around the same age as she, possibly a year younger. He counted to ten in his head, mentally calming himself down.

"Just lay off of him, will ya? He just got here. He doesn't need you to be on his case," Liam chipped in.

_'Thank you, Liam. At least someone understands.'_

The girls just rolled their eyes. "Whatever Payne. Look, we're trying to help him. So he doesn't go completely mad and end up being _one of them_ , _"_ Harley said, whispering the last part to Liam himself.

But Harry heard. "Who's them?" He asked.

Everyone at the table exchanged a glance. Rosie was the first to speak. "The level threes."

Harry knitted his eyebrows together.

"Level threes?"

Marina took a deep breath. "The level threes are the most...for lack of a better word, insane, out of all of us. The third floor is strictly off-limits for us and the level twos."

Harley wiped a tear threatening to fall from her eyes. "Trust me, kid. You don't wanna mess with them. They don't have the freedom we do. They can't even leave their rooms. And their rooms have no windows, so they can't escape. Most of em sit in the same place all day, every day."

"How do you know that?"

"Because my sister is a level three."

Everyone comforted her, including Harry. "I'm sorry. But it's nice that they at least let you visit her."

Harley chewed on her lip. "Weeeeeell. About that, I don't get to. I snuck up."

"But nurse-"

Harley cut him off. "Oh forget what that stupid nurse says. It's all bullshit. All of it."

Marina and Rosie gave her a dirty look. "Harley, quit."

"No. Curly here deserves to know. Everything these nurses say are lies. 'Oh you'll love it here, promise!' 'Oh it's gonna be just like living in a flat!' I mean, really? They say it just to comfort you. But don't buy into any of it."

"Harley! Quit scaring the poor kid!" Niall looked over at Harry. "Don't listen to her." Harley rolled her eyes.

"Well at least it's better than prison..." Rosie tried to help.

Harley scoffed. "Hardly," She mumbled.

Niall rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't think they'd act like this," he said, glaring at Harley.

Harry just sat there awkwardly. "It's fine. I think I'll-um- just go back to the room."

Niall frowned. "You sure? You didn't even eat anything?"

"Um I'm not hungry," Harry lied. "But it was nice meeting you lot."

"Okay, but we can be out here until after lunch. Come out and meet us later, yeah?"

Harry nodded polietly and trudged back to the room, running a hand through his curls. He really wanted to go back to the way his life was before. He had many friends in school, his grades were  great, he was a great athlete, he was popular. But then he did something he would regret until the day he died. He came out of the closet. Figuring his friends would be okay with it, and stick by his side. Which, unfortunately, they did not. They started bullying him, calling him _gay, fag, fairy,_ and _queer_. He spent every night crying. He began cutting to make the pain go away, however it only grew worse. One night, he attempted suicide. His sister found him on top of their roof; foot over the ledge, ready to jump. She grabbed him and ran inside, screaming at the top of her lungs. His mum grew pale and fainted. The next morning, she decided it was best for him to spend some time at the nearest ~~mental~~ _correction center._

" _I love you"_ was the last thing she said before dropping him off. He didn't bother to say it back.

"Why helloooo there."

Harry froze. "H-hi?"

The mystery voice walked in front of him, showing his face. He had ginger hair that was messy, and not to be rude, but it looked like he hadn't washed it in ages. His face was full of freckles, and his eyes a nice shade of blue. His lips were turned up in a smirk. "You're new, aren't you?"

Harry tried to answer; the lump in his throat making it hard. "I-um-yes."

The boy circled around Harry, looking him up and down. He was still smirking. "What's your name, kid?" What was everyone's obsession with calling him kid? Did he look like a child?

"H-Harry."

The boy chuckled, stopping in front of him. He was close enough that Harry could tell he hadn't brushed his teeth this morning. Or ever. "I'm Ed. You sound scared. Do I scare you, kid?"

"M-my name is Harry," He managed to spit out.

"Interesting. Kid's got a backbone. Good to have in here. Lads that look like you never last long."

Harry frowned. What was that supposed to mean?

"You a one? I'ma two."

Harry assumed he meant level. "I'm a one. Why are you down here if you're a two?"

"The twos and ones share a common meeting area. That kid I saw you talking to, Payne? He's a two. But he cuts it close most of the time. I share a room with him and he doesn't seem like he's a one, let alone two. "

Harry really wished he wasn't labeled with a number. Maybe Harley's right, it _is_ just like prison. "Well I just thought I'd come and introduce myself. I always love meeting newbies. See you around, kid. I mean, _Harry._ "

"Bye. Nice meeting you, Ed."

Ed's smirk creeped its way onto his face once again. "I bet it was, kid. I bet it was."

Harry shivered and continued down the hallway. He decided he would try to take a little nap to clear his head and then join Niall and his friends again. He figured he'd better stay on Niall's good side; they would be spending a lot of time together. Now that he thought about it, he figured it was both dumb and smart to be given a roommate. Smart in that he would have someone to talk to when they were stuck in their room; yet dumb because Niall could have been a complete pshyco and tried to hurt Harry. He shook the thought away, taking out his key and unlocking the door.

_Home sweet home. Sigh._

He fell into bed with a sigh. He was quite surprised at how quick he could fall asleep on the hard beds. But something about being at Granger just really made him knackered. He fell asleep thinking about his mum and Gemma.

\---

"Harry, Harry, Harry!" Harry shot up out of bed. "Mate, it's past lunch time. You sure sleep a lot, don't you?" Niall looked amused, standing in the doorway, arms folded across his chest.

"Normally, no. But I've just been tired recently," Harry answered groggily.

Niall laughed. "Got one hell of a morning voice, don't you?"

Harry blushed, becoming flustered. "Um thanks?"

Niall closed the door behind him, taking a seat by Harry. "Here. I saved you some." He handed him a plate.

Harry stared at it for a minute before taking it. "Um, not to be rude, but what is it?"

Niall smiled, laughing lightly. "No one knows. But food is food, so."

Harry poked at it with his fork, then turning his gaze to Niall. "You always seem so happy. I wish I had the spirit you do," He said with a frown.

Niall put his arm around Harry reassuringly. "Hey, don't be like that. I'm not always this optomistic, don't worry. I have my days; we all do. When you're in our situation, the best you can do is just at least pretend like you're happy. You tend to go home faster that way. I'm hoping to get off early for good behavior." He cringed. "Oh god, this really is just like prison."

Harry cracked a smile. In some weird way, Niall kind of made him feel better. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. He knew Niall would be right there with him; he was in the same boat he was. They all were. Even the level threes. But for now, Harry decided it was best to just leave them be. He was still unbelievably scared out of his mind, but now at least he knew he wasn't alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for reading. It really means a lot to me! But wow the end was kinda sappy. I promise it won't always be like that...unless you want it to be occasionally. Buuuut I don't know what you want so, type up a quick comment to let me know! I listen to you guys! Xx


	4. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: mention of setting fire to a child. If this bugs you, I highly suggest not reading the beginning of this chapter. Skip to where it says "Right away, none of the other kids liked him." Enjoy the rest of the chapter! Xx

 

Harry spent the next few hours just talking to Niall, who he decided, was a pretty cool lad, except for the whole reason he was diagnosed as insane in the first place. He found out more about his family and his life before he joined his first mental hospital. Niall had been 14 when his sister was born. His sister, Parker, got all of the attention, leaving poor Niall to become the forgotten middle child-he has an older brother named Greg- and this made him angry. One day, he found himself volunteering to babysit little Parker. Greg went out with a mate, and his parents accepted his offer right away, wanting to have a little date night. He played with her for awhile, until he realized he had his chance. No one was home; the perfect time to make sure Niall wouldn't be forgotten any longer. He grabbed the lighter from his dad's sock drawer. He wanted her death to be slow and painful. He wanted her to feel the pain he did, but more intense.

"Come here, little Parker," He hissed demonically. "Your brother wants to see you." He walked out to where she was playing with her toys, her eyes lighting up at the sight of Niall. She really did love him, even if the feelings weren't mutual. He rubbed his fingers against the side, lighting it up as he laughed evily. Parker's blue eyes-oh how she had her brother's eyes- switched from Niall to the fire.

"Pretty, isn't it? How would you like to be covered in this? I don't know about you, but I would." She giggled a little before crawling over to Niall, wrapping her tiny arms around his ankles.

"Ah, ah, ah. Take your arms off of me and I'll let you play with this." Because she wasn't able to comprehend, Niall had to take action. He used the hand that wasn't holding the lighter to harshly shove her off. She started to cry, but stopped when Niall put the lighter close to her face, close enough that he could see the flame flickering in her ocean eyes. He gently placed it on her cheek, ignoring her cries of pain. He took it off to see a black-red mark on her face. He smirked, proud of his work. He did the same to the other cheek, nose, forehead, the rest of her face until she was crying loudly, her pretty face ruined. He made his way to her arms, strategically placing the flame where it would burn the smallest patch of skin possible. He didn't want the different parts of her arm burnt at once. The only sound in the room was Parker's agonizing cries.

He moved down to her legs, removing her socks. She screamed bloody murder as the flame came in contact with her skin, the sound making Niall more and more pleased. He knew it was wrong, but he hated the girl for making him the middle child. No, not hate, more like despised. He was done with her legs, but he decided it wasn't good enough. He wanted her to suffer more. He set the flame gently on her head, her hair lighting up and bursting into flames. The flames quickly traveled down the rest of her body, not missing an inch. She screamed and cried and tried to get someone to help her. Niall watched as her glowing body suffered, the smirk still present on his face. He knew she was dead when her little blue eyes closed and she dropped to the floor. The deed was done. Niall was no longer the middle child, and he was certainly not forgotten. He picked up his mess, the remains of skin and ashes. His parents came home to find their baby girl very much dead and burnt. His mother sobbed hysterically; his father not believing the sight in front of him. They drove him to the mental hospital closest to Mullingar.

Right away, none of the kids liked him. They were all afraid of him, none of them had ever done anything quite as harsh, let alone be so proud of it. Everytime he told the story, he told it with a cocky smirk. And after he had, the kids would all run away and make sure they never said another word to him. He eventually got a complaint filed against him and was relocated to another institution. He figured out that he might as well have fun if he was going to be insane. He would tell stories and do things to get himself in trouble. Until, he wound up at Granger. Right away, he clicked with Liam and the girls. He decided it was best to put his devious ways behind him and stay located at Granger. And he'd been there ever since.

"So you killed your baby sister all because your parents forgot about you?" Harry asked, baffled.

Niall let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "When you say it like that, you make me sound like Satan. I'm not evil, just broken hearted."

Harry paused, choosing his next words carefully. He'd never thought of it like that. He wondered if that's how the threes felt in accordance to their situation. "I suppose you're right. The broken do crazy things to heal their broken heart."

Niall scooted closer to Harry so that they were side by side. They were laying down on Harry's bed, just talking. It felt nice. "That they do. Sometimes, they don't even know they're doing it. To tell you the truth, I didn't plan on killing her. But the sounds of pain coming from somewhere other than my heart made me feel better. And that feeling gave me a buzz; a buzz that made me so high, I didn't ever want to come down. I was so satisfied to know that I'm not the only one who's hurting. My parents, they didn't care about me or how I was feeling, Greg was always too busy to pay me any attention, and the only other one I could turn to couldn't talk. I had nowhere to go. I was alone. I guess you could say that coming here was the best thing that ever happened to me. This place is so full of broken people, and I know I don't have to be alone. I really hope you feel the same way I do, and that you'll love it here, too. After all, everything happens for a reason."

"I wish I knew what that reason was," Harry said simply.

"I know, I feel the same. But good things happen to those who wait."

Harry sat up a bit, his face breaking out into a smile. "What did they serve fortune cookies at lunch?" He teased.

"No. But before I was insane, I used to be obsessed with quotes. The ones deep and meaningful-"

"Sounds like you'd be obsessed with John Green," Harry interrupted, smiling at the thought of his favorite author.

Niall furrowed his brows. "Who? Harry, I don't know any famous people besides the ones famous before I was 14."

"Oh, right. Sorry. Continue."

"Anyway, the ones deep and meaningful. The ones that made you sit down and rethink your entire life. I used to keep a quote book, a small notebook that I always carried with me. If I could have one wish, it'd be to have my quote book right here with me." He grinned at the thought.

Harry was just about to say something when someone knocked on the door. Niall got up to answer it. It was Jenna, telling them that it was time for them to roam the halls. Harry felt kind of bummed. He was beginning to like hearing Niall tell stories about his past and the thing that he loves the most. But he got up anyway and began following Niall out to the meeting area. However, he was stopped by Jenna.

"I hope you said your goodbyes because I need your phone."

Harry took out his key, unlocked the door and gave her his phone.

"Thank you. Have a nice night, Harry."

"You too," He grumbled.

He found Niall sitting at a table, talking to four girls. "Harry, this is Perrie, Leigh-Anne, Jesy and Jade. They're level twos. I've become good friends with them, as well."

"Hello," he said.

"Hi!"

"Hello."

"Hey."

"Hi. So you're Niall's roommate. I'm sorry," Perrie teased.

Harry smiled. "He's not half bad."

"Ha! hear that? I'm not half bad!"

Leigh-Anne rolled her eyes. "It's called being polite. It'd be rude to tell the truth and say you're a pain in the ass."

"Well I don't know about you guys, but I'm hungry!" Jesy said. They ate and talked and Harry found out why each girl had been put into Granger. Perrie killed her ex for cheating, Leigh-Anne drowned her father after he divorced her mum and married a younger girl, Jesy sliced open the throat of a girl who had spread rumors about her, and Jade helped her father rob 187 places in England and proceeded to kill him to get all the money for herself.

Harry decided that everyone at Granger was crazy. But it was okay, he was just a little loco himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was such a short chapter and I'm sorry but I wanted to update and I'm tired. :(


	5. chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so first, I'm soooo sorry for not updating sooner. Blame school and homework. Ew. Second, in this chapter, you meet the other half of Larry Stylinson, Louis the Tommo Tomlinson! His story is based off of my favorite show, Pretty Little Liars. Enjoy the chapter!

 

 

Louis Tomlinson sat in his dark cell, all alone. His eyes were puffy and red, due to the lack of sleep he had been getting. The girl in the next cell over started howling. Louis would roll his eyes if it didn't hurt so damn much. "Taylor! Shut the hell up!" He cried, his voice sore and raspy. The girl kept howling. 

Louis sighed; she never shut up unless she was sleeping. But at least  _someone_ got some sleep. Louis was twenty-one and was put into Granger four years ago, when he was seventeen. Right away, he had been sent up to the third floor. 

Louis was a master conman. He was with four of his best mates, when he told them he was going to the bathroom. None of the boys thought anything of it. That was, until they realized he had been gone a long time. Stan got up to see what he was doing, the other three staying outside. Louis was rich and had a huge yard that the boys often camped out in. 

Stan came running outside, a look of worry etched on his face. "Louis...I can't find him." 

Aiden furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean you can't find him?" 

"I-I can't find him. He wasn't anywhere in the house." 

Jake looked over at Stan. "Did you check outside? Maybe he went on a walk or something." 

Alex sucked in his cheeks. "I have a bad feeling about this." 

"He's probably playing a trick on us. We are talking about Louis. He's waiting outside the tent, listening to our conversation; I guarantee it," Jake reassured. 

"I'm telling you, my stomach is clenching just thinking about it. I don't think he's messing with us," Alex added, biting the inside of his cheek. 

"Well, where all could he have gone? He's probably still in this backyard," Aiden said. 

"But what if he's not?" Stan asked, looking at the three other boys. "What if something happened to him?" 

"I think if something bad happened to him, we would have heard his scream," Jake said. He knew Louis, and knew how Louis never missed the opportunity for a good prank. 

The other boys tried to believe him, but they just couldn't. "I'm going to go look for him. You can come if you want, but I'm getting to the bottom of this," Aiden said, getting up and turning on his flashlight. Everyone else followed him. 

"Louis!" No answer. 

"Louis!" Same thing.

"Lou!" Nada.

"Lou! C'mon, mate! This isn't funny anymore!" Again, only the sound of their own voices filled the air. 

Alex sighed. "I don't think he's okay. He wouldn't take it this far." They heard a twig snap. 

"Lou!"

"No sorry. That was me. Stepped on a branch," Aiden said. 

The lot of them rolled their eyes. "Come on. He's got to be around here somewhere," Stan said. 

They searched for what seemed like hours. "Is anyone else knackered?" Jake asked with a yawn.  

The others nodded. "I say it's about high time we go to bed. Louis could be back in the tent, for all we know," Aiden said. The boys headed back to the tent, only to find Louis nowhere in sight. 

"Let's just go to bed. Louis will join us when he realizes we gave up," Stan said. And so they did. 

* * *

The next morning, the boys woke up and Louis was not in the tent. They went into the house to talk to his parents. 

"Hello boys. Have you seen Louis?" Mrs. Tomlinson asked. The boys exchanged a glance. 

Jake cleared his throat."We were hoping he was with you," he said softly.  

Mrs. Tomlinson looked at Mr. Tomlinson. "Oh. Where could he have gone?" 

They filed a missing persons report when Louis hadn't returned home. The police set out to find him, with no luck. Until a month later. It was 10 pm when the Tomlinsons got the call. Louis' body was found 100 miles north of Doncaster. Their only son was gone. 

A funeral was to be held the following Sunday. Aiden, Alex, Stan, and Jake showed up, sending their best to the grieving Tomlinson family. After the funeral, each of the boys received a text from.an unknown number. 

 

_from: unknown number_

_1 down, 4 to go. Good luck boys._

_-L_

  
The texts occurred frequently, each one saying something different, yet revealing about the boys. And each one was signed with the same letter, L. The boys weren't sure who L was, but Stan had guessed it stood for Louis. But it didn't make any sense. Louis was dead. They went to his funeral; they saw the body!

Or at least, that's what they thought. It was almost a year after Louis had been pronounced dead. L had invited them to a Halloween bash, and they reluctantly went. 

They had caught sight of a mysterious looking figure in a black hoodie. They chased him down, as they had many times before. But something was different this time. L was letting them win. 

Stan grabbed onto L's hoodie. It was finally time for all the confusion to end. Stan spun L around, ripping off his mask-

"Louis?" Stan breathed. 

Louis smiled shyly back at his best friends. "'Ello boys. Long time no see." 

All four boys glared at him. "I can't believe you, Lou. T-I know you've played jokes before, but this-this takes the cake. I-wow," Jake said. 

"You put us through all of this." 

"Yeah but-"

"But? But?! Louis, you made us believe you were  _dead._ Dead, Louis. Do you know how much we loved you, Louis. Who in their right minds would do this?!" 

"When have you ever known me to be in my right mind, boys?" Louis asked with a smirk. 

Jake scoffed. "Wipe that smirk off of your face before I do myself. I can't even talk to you right now." He ran a hand through his hair. 

"Wow boys. Such harsh behavior. Aren't you happy to see me?" Louis teased. 

"No," Alex barked. "Never talk to us again, Louis. I never want to see your face again." The boys stormed out of the bash, leaving Louis to smirk to himself. He just single handedly pulled the biggest stunt in probably ever. His smirk faded when he realized all he did was for naught. His mates didn't appreciate how hard it was for him. He was incredulous. In the heat of the moment, he located the boys.   
  
He cleared his throat loudly, causing them all to turn around. They rolled their eyes at the sight of their former friend.   
  
"Fuck off, Louis," Stan said. It hurt the most coming from him. He had been friends with Louis ever since they were in diapers, and Louis was sure they would be best friends until they ended up in diapers again.   
  
"I wouldn't test me, Stan," Louis said, harshly.   
  
When Stan rolled his eyes again, Louis took out a pistol he stole from his father before he left a year ago. He didn't think twice about shooting Stan right in the chest five times.   
  
"Let this be a lesson to you all," he sneered, watching the horrified looks of his 'friends.' "Oh fuck it," he said, shooting, and killing, the rest of them. 

 

The next day, his parents found out. They sent him to Granger without any hesitation. When asked of his situation, he told everything with a smirk; his favorite accessory. He was immediately declared insane, and sent up to level three. He spent all of his days and nights-he had no idea when either occurred thanks to the lack of cell windows- sitting there, thinking of what prank he can pull to top it when he gets out. 


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed some things in the last chapter...so go back and read that please. Xx.

 

Harry had been at Granger for a few weeks now, and he was getting used to the routine. It was sad to think about, really. But Harry didn't mind all that much now. He'd been getting closer to Niall and his friends.   
  
He decided that he'd rather stay away from Harley, though. She was kinda scary, if he was being honest. Even Niall was afraid of her.   
  
He had only seen Ed once since their eerie first encounter. They were at dinner and Harry turned his head to see Ed staring at him. Ed winked, smiling like a Cheshire Cat. Harry got chills and quickly turned away.   
  
〰➰〰  
  
Right now, the gang was at dinner. Harry was picking at his food when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder.   
  
"Harry, are you even listening?" Marina asked, frowning.   
  
Harry thought about lying, but she'd probably ask him to repeat what she just said. "N-no. Sorry. I was just thinking."   
  
Her frown disappeared. "What about?"   
  
He shrugged. "Things."   
  
She decided not to push him. "Oh. Well, I was just sharing a story about my best friend from home, Lana. I miss her."   
  
He'd heard her talk about Lana before. She really cared about Lana. And from the stories, it sounded as though the feeling was mutual. Harry wished he had a best friend like that. But the only friends he has now are the ones he made at Granger.   
  
"Do you miss your best friend from home, Harry?" Marina asked, her eyes glossy from thinking about Lana.   
  
He shook his head, biting his lip. "Um. I don't really have a best friend from home...Or a friend either, for that matter."   
  
Everyone grew silent.   
  
"I-I'm sorry, Haz. But we're your friends now," Niall said, smiling sweetly. Harry returned it.   
  
"How didn't you have friends?" Harley asked, suspicious. "I mean, you're not that big of a loser."   
  
Harry furrowed his eyebrows. "Um. Thanks, I guess? But I-I um..." He debated on whether or not to share his secret with them. It's not that he didn't trust them, because he did. But it wasn't just something he could just share, especially if they would react like the kids at his old school. "I-I'm gay," he choked out carefully.   
  
"No shit, Sherlock," Harley said, causing Harry to raise an eyebrow.   
  
"Wait. You knew?" He asked, confused.   
  
Harley chuckled, rolling her eyes. "We all did," she said, gesturing to everyone at the table.   
  
Harry looked from one person to the next, all of them looking guilty, refusing to meet his glance. "How the hell did you all know?"   
  
"I have excellent gaydar," Harley said with a smirk. "You can't hide it from me."   
  
"Oh. Well...You guys aren't disgusted? Or upset?"   
  
"Haz, we aren't ones to discriminate," Perrie said, kind of offended he thought so.   
  
Harry breathed out a sigh of relief.   
  
"Besides, Harley is a bit queer herself. We don't mind. We still love her," Niall said.   
  
Harry glanced over at Harley, who wasn't fazed at all. "Boys and girls both have very different things to offer. I don't see why I should limit myself to one gender."   
  
Sometimes, Harley could be very insightful.   
  
〰➰〰  
  
The rest of dinner went swimmingly; Harry was relieved he didn't have to hide anymore. And everyone else was relieved that they didn't have to pretend like they didn't know.   
  
On the way back to their room, Niall stopped suddenly, a smirk prominent on his face. "Wanna have some fun?" He whispered in Harry's ear, giving him chills.   
  
"W-what?" Harry asked, eyes as large as saucers.   
  
Niall was still smirking at him. "Let's sneak up to level three!" He squealed.   
  
Harry was relieved that that was Niall had said, but he still didn't think it was a good idea. "Niall. We can't do that. It's against the rules!" Harry whispered.   
  
Niall rolled his eyes. "Rules are meant to be broken!" He said, grabbing Harry's hand and running up the stairs nearby.


	7. Chapter 6

 

"Niall! I'm telling you. We're going to get in so much trouble for this. Although Harley was right. They have terrible security here. No but back to the question at hand-"   
  
"Harry! Good lord. Please shut up! We're going to be fine! No thanks to you and your incessant rambling. You're going to get us caught, so, please, I'm begging you, just shut the fuck up!"   
  
Harry grew quiet."Sorry," he muttered. "I'm just scared. They're capable of terrible things. I-I'm not trying to die today."   
  
Niall rolled his eyes. "Harry, mate, they're behind steel walls. The only way to see them is a little barred window. There's no way they'll ever be able to lay a hand on you."   
  
Harry ignored him. "Why did you even want to come here to begin with? It's bloody freezing up here!"   
  
"I just wanted to check it out. Have a little sense of adventure. I'm so bored, Haz. I wanted an escape."   
  
"You've had your adventure, Ni. Can we please go now?" HARRY practically begged.   
  
Niall was about to protest when they heard a gruff voice. "Hey! What are you doing out of your cell?" They turned to see a pale boy's head poking through the tiny window.   
  
Harry froze. "Um-we-uh we just-uh-hi."   
  
The boy glared at him. He was pale, very pale, and had pale blue lifeless eyes. His facial hair made him resemble a caveman; level threes were not allowed to shave or take care of themselves in any way and instead, were treated inhumanly.  
  
Harry couldn't help but to stare at the lad. He didn't realize he was even staring until Niall elbowed him in the side. Hard.   
  
"Hmm?"   
  
"I asked why you were staring at me, you dickhead!" The boy croaked. He sounded as though he had not spoken in at least ten years and it made Harry's throat hurt.   
  
"Um-I-er didn't mean to-uh-do that. I um. I-"   
  
"Your friend sure is a charmer, isn't he?" The boy asked Niall, rolling his eyes slowly, as if it was painful to do so.   
  
Harry grew quiet again.   
  
"I'm going to ask you one more time. Why the hell are you up here?"   
  
Harry looked over at Niall for support, but Niall was just looking at his feet.   
  
"We-"   
  
The boy stopped him. "Please stop. This won't be fun for anyone. Let blondie talk."   
  
Harry didn't know whether to feel relieved or insulted.   
  
"We just wanted to have some fun," Niall admitted shyly.   
  
The boy's eyes grew into slits. "Oh you did, did you? Is it fun for you to see how pathetic we are up here? Does it give you pleasure to mock us? Do you get off to the thought of us stuck here all by ourselves, while we're being treated like scum?! Like we're gum on the bottoms of your fucking shoes?! Huh?! Is that what you do for fun?!"   
  
The boys were silent. You could hear a pin drop.   
  
"That's what I thought." The boy's voice softened. "Now, get out! And I don't ever want to see you around here again, got it?"   
  
They nodded furiously as they ran downstairs and back to their rooms. Both boys were breathing heavily and Harry was too scared to even say "I told you so."


End file.
